Third Date
by April Snakehole
Summary: A third date, uncontrollable smiling, and a betting Sirius Black. Fluff!


A/N: I have no idea why my muse has been going crazy in the last couple weeks, but I'm not going to question it. Have another James/Lily drabble.

Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize is mine. It's J.K. Rowling's, I'm just having some fun with it.

Third Date

"Can I ask you something?" Lily asked, face slightly flushed. James couldn't tell if it was from the cold outside or from embarrassment, but he wanted to believe that he had something to do with it. He had to remind himself that not only had she agreed to go out with him not just once but three times.

"Of course," he said, pulling her towards the Three Broomsticks. "Let's get you inside first. You look cold."

"Oh, I do?" Lily laughed but let herself be tugged forward. "Just me, then. Nothing to do with you shivering for the past five minutes."

He sneaked a glance back at her and couldn't keep a smile from creeping across his face. He had been smiling uncontrollably a lot in the last couple of weeks.

"You're too cold to think straight, love," he said, squeezing her hand.

She threw her head back to let out one bark of laughter and James wondered how he had been able to keep himself from smiling constantly lately.

The Three Broomsticks was fairly crowded; it was cold enough that most people had forgone wandering the streets of Hogsmeade for huddling together over a warm drink. He left Lily to look for a seat and wandered up to the bar to order.

Rosemerta was ready for him, waiting at the bar with two butterbeers and a teasing smile.

"She agreed to another one, then?"

James laughed nervously and ruffled his hair. "Don't ask me why."

The young woman waved off his attempts to dig money from his pockets. "On the house. I won a bit of money off your mate."

"For?"

"Well, young Master Sirius seemed to think that you wouldn't get past the first date with her," Rosemerta chuckled.

James rolled his eyes. "Sirius thinks because he can't get past a first date, none of us can." He blanched, remembering his friend's crush on the pretty barmaid. "But he's a—a great bloke. Heart's in the right place."

Rosmerta rolled her eyes with a smile. "Looks like he's come back to flirt with me some more. I should get back to work," she said with a wink.

James turned to see Sirius striding towards the bar.

"Hello, there, Prongs. Lily gained some sense and ditched you afterall?" He asked.

"Sorry to disappoint, but you still owe Rosmerta money." Sirius blanched slightly and held his hands up.

"Look, mate—"

James rolled his eyes. "Oh, stuff it. I've got to get back to Lily before she thinks I've bolted."

"She's over by the door," Sirius said.

James's eyes narrowed. "And how do you know that?"

"Oh, Merlin's sake, Prongs. I walked by her coming in. I said hello. I'm not actually trying to ruin your chance with her." Sirius clapped him on the back. "I know what this is to you. I was just trying to make conversation with Rosmerta."

"You were trying to make something with Rosmerta, but I don't think it was conversation," James muttered.

Sirius grinned and winked. "Well, we can only hope, eh?"

James walked towards the door, muttering about something about how dogs were supposed to be loyal, and found Lily in the booth right next to the door. He grimaced, hoping he draft wouldn't be too bad. He had been getting far too cold out with Lily, and didn't like his chances of getting away with shivering without being mocked again.

"There you are," Lily said with an easy smile as James slid in across from her.

"Sorry about that. I was being attacked on all sides," he muttered.

"What's the matter?"

"Oh, Sirius being a prat. Not anything surprising."

"Ah, yes. He came by for a bit of a chat when you were gone."

James groaned and hit his head softly on the table. "Telling you to pitch me, I guess?"

He heard her giggle and looked up.

"He told me not to muck things up with you, actually. He may be a prat but he certainly loves you." She took a long sip and grinned when she saw his face. "What?"

"He bet Rosmerta that we wouldn't get past the first date," he said, eyebrows furrowed.

"Well," Lily's ears flushed red, followed by her cheeks, forehead, and nose. God, he loved that she was a redhead. He loved knowing when she didn't have a handle on the situation, especially since Lily Evans almost always had a handle on the situation. "Maybe he knew… oh, nevermind."

"No," he said. He sat back up and slid a hand across the table to grab hers from her mug. "What were you going to say?"

"Maybe he just knew that the first date was going to be… it." She was staring at their intertwined hands.

"'It?'" He asked, mouth suddenly dry.

"Oh, you know," Lily groaned. He'd never seen her blush so hard before, even when she'd agreed to their first date, even when he'd kissed her after that first date, even when her friends squealed when they saw her catch his hand in the hallway. She glared at their hands halfheartedly.

James laughed nervously. "I'm a bit slow on the uptake, Lils, you should know that—"

"That is was always going to be all or nothing with us."

She looked up sheepishly as she said it, her smile gone, her eyes uncertain and green, so green.

It took James a moment to be able to respond. He knew his face must be ridiculous, mouth open like a fish, eyes wide and blank with shock. Finally he shook his head a little and laughed, sliding his other hand across the table and up to touch her face lightly. He knew he had a goofy grin on his face, but he also knew it matched the one that was sprouting up on his girlfriend's face.

"Smart bloke, that Sirius," James said quietly.

"Oh, Merlin, don't let him hear you say that," she laughed.

"I almost forgot—what did you want to ask me?"

Lily giggled and leaned back. "It doesn't much matter now." James raised his eyebrows. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to, uh be my boyfriend, but I think I got my answer."

"Eh, you didn't get an answer from me. I think you're going to have to ask me, Evans, because maybe I'll just go date… someone else," he said, looking around the pub.

"You can't even think of another girl to date, Potter, don't give me that," Lily accused, but she was laughing, too.

"Uh… Mary?"

"My best mate?"

He paused. "Yes."

"Okay, Potter, you go ask Mary for a date, and we'll see how that goes."

"Nah, I think I'll wait around. There's this one girl I fancy a bit, I want to see if something works out with her," he said quietly, leaning forward slowly across the table.

"Oh, well. If you're not going to ask Mary, I guess I'll just…" she started, leaning forward a bit herself.

"Just what?"

"Want to be my boyfriend, Potter?"

"Yeah, I guess," he said and stood up to close the gap between them. He kissed her softly, thanking his lucky stars that this was happening to him.

"You two are truly disgusting, you know," a voice rang out, startling the couple out of their haze. They sprang back to their respective sides of the booth and looked up to find Sirius standing in front of their table, face scrunched up in distaste and a butterbeer in his hand.

"Oh, you love us," Lily blushed, sliding over. "Take a seat."

"No luck, then?" James asked.

Sirius sat down heavily beside Lily and tooked a sip. "She said I'm too pretty for her, and who am I to argue." He sighed dramatically and leaned over to drape an arm over Lily's shoulder. "It's a curse being this beautiful, Lily, really it is. James here wouldn't know, but—"

"Oy, keep your mouth off my boyfriend." Lily punched Sirius in the stomach lightly.

"Boyfriend?" Sirius asked. He blinked once, twice, and then laughed, raising his mug. "To James, for finally tricking Evans into thinking he's a decent bloke."

Lily smirked at James and raised her glass. She and Sirius stared expectantly at James until he sighed and raised his own.

"What did I do to deserve you lot?"

"You're just that lucky," Sirius said, squeezing Lily's shoulders and letting her go. "Just the luckiest bloke I know."


End file.
